Whines and I snuck out of the LGRL movie night a little early last to see an advance showing of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. No disrespect for Gene Wilder, who was a superb Wonka, I really think Depp's portrayal--and of course the writing that went behind it--does a better job of capturing the character. While there's a freakish weirdness to both of them, Depp comes across more as a lonely genius in his castle than Wilder, who was just a perky madman.

Oompa Loompas: Creepy, very creepy. Great musical numbers. Wow. Mostly straight from the book, too. Most of the bratlings were disturbing--Violet and Mike Teevee were actually more than a bit scary.

The only "flaw" in an otherwise perfect movie--I'm not sure if it's a flaw, but the Austin Chronicle thought so--is they added some backstory for WW himself. Ehh...before watching it, I would have been annoyed, but they worked, and added a lot to the character. I'm not perfectly sure they weren't in the booik to a degree. But they also made the ending simultaneously more and less "hollywood." But effective nonetheless.

Some things I'd like to look for in a second viewing: There's a lot of foreshadowing of who's the final victor. Wonka only seems to speak to Charlie by name. But weirdly, Mike Teevee is perceptive--he's unique in that he gets into the Golden Ticket Tour by skill, somehow, and he sees through a lot of Wonka's facade. Charlie, though, is also perceptive, but he thinks the silly illusions and games are important, too. I'd like to watch for how they set up the ending throughout the film in the way Wonka and Charlie interact, and how Mike, the last child to be weeded out, is portrayed as more perceptive than the entire cast.

Anyway, splendid movie...